The central question of this essay – can we use magic as a metaphor to re-evaluate and redefine the theory and practice of computing? Or, stated slightly differently, can magic provide a metaphor for opening a new frontier in the investigation and solution of the core problems confronted by software developers and computing professionals in today’s world? Along the way to answering this question we will explore, for just a bit, the appeal of the metaphor and make two side trips to examine potential insights from other disciplines.
